As a society, we often don’t think about taking care of our mental health in the same way we do our physical health. This is starting to change, particularly as more and more research shows we can influence our mental health through exercise.

While stress can be useful at times, it is important to manage it well, particularly in the face of pain disorders. An inability to manage stress may be contributing to the level of pain being experienced, so at Medwest Health Care we will often ask questions regarding the level of stress our patients are experiencing and whether they feel that their pain is made worse when their stress levels are high.

Getting active outdoors is an invigorating way to get your blood pumping. Whether it’s a hike, a run or even a walk, exercising outdoors combines the benefits of physical activity with the goodness of fresh air, natural light and nature!

We spend so much time operating on autopilot, unconscious of what’s going on around us. It’s even worse at your workplace, where being mindless can result in rising stress levels and even poor productivity.

A large international study has the number to show it can prevent depression from developing with the power of exercise. The team took data from 49 studies across the world involving over 260,000 people. It was found that people who were sufficiently physically active were at 15 precent reduced risk of developing depression.

Stress effects many people in many different ways, but its important to understand how it works, why it happens and how to manage it. That way, you can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying life.